I am not sure whether to interpret the question as changing teas over the course of the session or just changing anything about the session, so my answer is in light of the latter. Always slowly trying to make my tea sessions more peaceful for me, so more streamlined, more delicious, more focusing on the task/flavours at hand...

twinofmunin wrote:I am not sure whether to interpret the question as changing teas over the course of the session or just changing anything about the session, so my answer is in light of the latter. Always slowly trying to make my tea sessions more peaceful for me, so more streamlined, more delicious, more focusing on the task/flavours at hand...

Yes, the latter ... changing anything about the session in the short or long term.

I tend to get rather set in my ways, but changing simple little things like cups, teapots ... physical items is an easy and desirable transition.

Changing brew methods is something I will try if I feel it will yield a better brew.

Began the TD with a rather drab and old sencha ... I wish I could change to a better sencha but cannot til some arrives hopefully SOOOOON!

I purchased a shiboridashi set from O-Cha that includes a yuzamashi and 2 cups perfectly sized for the shib. Now the tea to water ratio is consistent, but, more importantly, pre-heating the pot and cups and cooling the water are easier and more enjoyable, so I do them. I'm practicing on less-expensive gyo, and then I've got some of the better gyo ready to move on to.

Then I bought a new tea kettle that has temperature presets. I moved it to my kitchen table, and because it's so convenient I control the water temperature more consistently. The big change though is that I've begun experimenting with raising the temperature on second and third steeps for green tea, and it's made a big difference.

I've just finished a session with Yame Gyokuro in the aforementioned shib.

I like to change things around. But oddly when I get a new teapot it usually sits for a month or so before it is cleaned out and used.....I dont know why...resistance to change?

As for brewing method change, yeah I do that too. Been playing around with some greens from yuukicha. Found a nice combo yesterday. Yuukicha bancha mixed with their gyo kukicha. Starting roughly 2 1/2 parts kuki to 1 part bancha (by sight not weight), 160ish water. Brewed similar to a sencha. Second steep added a pinch of bancha. Third steep pinch of bancha. 4th Spoon of kuki. 5th pinch of bancha. Seemed like it could have gone on at least 1 more if not two infusions without further adding leaf. I was done though!

infussions 2,3,4,5 much more brothy then expected. Screams clean. I can taste the very earthy straightforward green tones of the bancha, I can taste the light sweetness along with the more marineyness of the kukicha. So effortless to drink. I enjoyed it over brewing either alone by itself. The subtlety of the kukicha seems to balance out the boldness of the bancha very well. Revisiting this again while I am at work today.

I'm pretty happy with my teaSessions, except that too many of them happen at work, because I'm at work too much. Not sure how to fix that one, shy of a large inheritance from a long-lost relative or a winning lottery ticket!

Today, had to adapt my tea-at-work to a crazy busy day and the discovery I'd forgotten to prepare something for a midday meeting, so some forgiving TGY went into the thermos, along with hot water from the office water cooler, and off to the meeting I went....'grandpa' style, sort of, drinking from the thermos with the tea still in it.

My favorite teas and teaware are like members of the family. They help me cope in the morning as I get ready for work and welcome me home after a long day. Sure, I bring home a few guest teas oncenin a while, but I'm a bit of a creature of habit.

goodtexn wrote:My favorite teas and teaware are like members of the family. They help me cope in the morning as I get ready for work and welcome me home after a long day. Sure, I bring home a few guest teas oncenin a while, but I'm a bit of a creature of habit.

Welcome to TeaChat! Say high to "the fam."

Passable TeaDay got better. Began with very mediocre sencha that I have been avoiding. But it is now the only sencha in the house. Fortunately the TD got better with Gyokuro Fujitsubo from the O-C with the Mrs.

Running for Tea wrote:Change currently, no. Change soon, yes!! I plan to continue branching out and experimenting with more and more teas.Started the day with Yutaka Midori from O-Cha Very good, though I did botch the second steep... found myself lost in thought recovered nicely on 3rd-5th though

Record floods here ... or near record ... and all on the heels of Irene. Pretty brutal in PA! The road out front was like a river ... then there was the river running under the house caused by rising water table. Springs popping up everywhere, including in the house.

But there was TEA. The "reluctant" sencha came out pretty good to start the TD ... just used less leaf. The Mrs. agreed.

Then Temomi (sp?) sencha from a TCer that was quite a unique in taste in the first steep. Very good. Funny, the first words out of my mouth were, "clam broth." Inaccurate but shows how different it truly was.